Improvement in petroleum-wells



Petrole-um Wel-ls.

No. 166,425. PafentedAug.s,1s75.

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. 2Sheets--Sheet2. E.`MSC. STEVNSN. v

Petroleum Wellsl No.l66,42`5. Egg ParentedAug.3,1s75.'

u. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C NITED Artnr FrIcE;

IMPROVEMENT IN PETROLEUM-WELLS.

Specication forming part of Letters PatentNo. 166,425, dated August 3, 1875; application filed April 21, 1875.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, ELrsHA MGGURDY STEVENSON, of Pulaski township, in the county of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Petroleum-Wells; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object an increased yield from an oil-well, and the discharging of the oil from the well by the expansive action of the gas; and it consists in reducing the flowing space within the well by the introduction within the well or casing of a pipe-tube, cylinder, or their equivalent, whereby the gas (which is intimately incorporated with the oil when said oil enters the well from the oil-bearing rock) is compelled, as it expands and passes out from the well, to carry the oil with it, instead of separating from the oil and escaping Without it, in which latter case the oil would be left in the bottom of the well, as a comparatively solid, dead, heavy mass, requiring to be pumped out by mechanical appliances.

In the drawings, A represents the oil-hearing rock, and B B the strata of slate, sandstone, and soil above. C represents a casing, usually enployed at the upper part of the well, and extending to such depth as will shut out the water, or, at least, the fresh water. Where it is convenient I prefer that the casing should extendbelow the point at which either fresh or salt water would other- Wise enter, in order to do away with the necessity of the pumping hereinafter referred to. D is a T-piece or capping at the top of the well, by means of which the oil is conducted into suitable outlet-pipes. E is the reducing pipe, tube, or cylinder, of substantially the -same size from end to end, except at the joints, and of such diameter as to nearly iill the bore of the well, or will at least so diminish lthe space through which the oil can pass that saidl oil shall be discharged by the action of the gas operating substantially in the manner set forth and described in Letters Patent granted to me December 8, 1874, N o. 157,648.

vUnder some. circumstances I propose to extend `pipe or tube E, which is closed at the lower end,down only to the upper line of the oil-bearing rock, and, in fact, satisfactory results will sometimes. be produced Without introducing it to cven that point, as when the yield of oil is quite large a short section of the well will be illed by the oil before such a change in the condition or relation of the oil and gas as will materially affect the discharge of the oil through the annular space between the pipe E and the walls of the well. Nor do I wish to be confined to arranging pipe E centrally within the well, although I prefer that arrangement; and for this purpose I propose to employ short studs projecting from the sides of the pipe.

In a well of five and a half inches diameter, and yielding twenty barrels per day, I propose to use a reducing pipe or cylinder of tive and a quarter inches outside diameter, as this size will ordinarily confine the oil and gas to such an extent that they will not separate during their passage to the top of the well, but will be discharged together.

I do not wish to be confined to the exact proportions between the pipe and the well for the yield above given, as they will vary with the depth of the well, but I prefer these sizes for a well of, say, one thousand feet deep.

In wells where it is not practicable to shut out the salt water, and where such water would, if allowed to remain, fill the well to such an extent as to materially retard the liow of oil, a working or pumping barrel, with suitable piston and valves, may be constructed at the lower end of the reducing-tube, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of which this water can be pumped out when required.

When this construction is employed a little water may be left in the bottom of thewell, to close the lower end of the tube, or the same eect substantially will be produced by the filling of thev lower end of the tube with oil from which the gas has separated.

oil with which it is incorporated, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing' as my own, I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ELISHA MOCURDY STEVENSON.

Witnesses:

E. M. STEVEsoN, T. D. STEVENSON. 

